Re: Mahidol University's Buddhist Studies Programme
From: justinm@...
Message: 2283
Date: 2007-11-13
Thank you for the information.
As far as I know, many of the scholars on the list were either
at a meeting at Mahidol in the early planning stages and had
agreed to be dissertation advisors for future students if
needed. The Thai scholars live in Bangkok and surrounding and
so are close and available. Most of the foreign scholars have
worked with Thai students, spend time in Thailand, or live in
Thailand (except for Janet Gyatso). Most of the concrete
planning started back in 2004. They have a nice campus, good
staff, and are really putting a lot of resources into the
program to make it work. Who knows if it will? There seems to
be student interest. We'll see. Mahidol is always trying to
build their library resources, so if anyone wants to donate
books, they would be most welcome.
There is already a viable program at Mahidol for Thai students
(everything in Thai medium including all Sanskrit and Pali
instruction) but it is run through another college, not the
International program. That has an excellent staff as well. A
few of my students will be studying there as visitors soon. I
am more familar with that program. Lots of good things going
on at Mahidol.
Thanks for the update. It is indeed encouraging.
Best,
jm
---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:27:17 +0000
>From: "L.S. Cousins" <selwyn@...>
>Subject: Re: [palistudy] Mahidol University's Buddhist
Studies Programme
>To: palistudy@yahoogroups.com
>
> EM
>
> It is very encouraging to see a new programme in
> Pali studies -
> desperately needed. Pathompong is very much to be
> congratulated for
> his organizational skills and enthusiasm in
> gathering together such a
> group. I do not know all of the staff involved, but
> Justin Meiland
> and Alex Wynne at least are very well capable of
> running a programme
> of this kind.
>
> I am not sure why you are so worried about the list
> of "Honorary
> Academic Advisors". Such lists are usually fairly
> pro forma. One
> doesn't expect to be consulted very often, if at
> all.
>
> Anyway, I am fairly certain that at least half the
> list is genuine
> and see no reason to doubt the remainder. People
> usually get on lists
> of this kind because they were someone's doctoral
> examiner or
> similar. In this case, a number are obvious
> connexions of Pathompong
> as a former monk.
>
> Hundius is not on the list you give us. Oskar von
> Hinueber does of
> course provide a German connexion and has many links
> with Thailand.
>
> Lance Cousins
>
> >Just this month, Thailand's Mahidol University
> launched a small PhD
> >programme in Buddhist studies.
> >
> >Reportedly, reading ability in Pali and Sanskrit is
> a focus. Of
> >course, they don't yet have a reputation, as they
> were founded in
> >2007, but one tries to read the announcement with
> an open mind.
> >
> >The list of professors is not without interest:
> >* Pathompong Bodhiprasiddhinand
> > DPhil in Oriental Studies (Oxford University, UK)
> >* Justin Meiland
> > DPhil in Oriental Studies (Oxford University, UK)
> >* Alexander Wynne
> > DPhil in Oriental Studies (Oxford University, UK)
> >* Sumana Tangkanasingh
> > PhD in Culture and Musuemology (Grenoble
> University, France)
> >* Taveevat Puntarigvivat
> > PhD in Religions and Society (Temple University,
> USA)
> >* Pagorn Singsuriya
> > PhD in Philosophy (Chulalongkorn University,
> Thailand)
> >
> >The trouble is that this is "backed up" with a long
> list of supposed
> >"academic advisors" --and here I must suspect they
> are misleading the
> >public.
> >
> >This list (below) is inherently difficult to
> believe, but to make
> >matters worse, I have just received an e-mail
> request passed on from
> >their most senior professor (first named in the
> list above) asking if
> >anyone could provide him with Dr. Hundius's e-mail,
> as he has just
> >figured out that he is a difficult man to find
> (given his emeritus
> >status, etc.). How could Hundius possibly have any
> involvement with
> >the Mahidol project whatsoever, without any of
> their professors either
> >having his e-mail, or at least fore-knowledge of
> the fact that he is
> >indeed retired, and how to contact him via the
> department secretary,
> >etc.? Perhaps he once made a brief appearance
> there, and is now
> >listed as an "Academic Advisor to the Programme"
> --but there is ever
> >the possibility of outright fraud. Nor is there any
> obvious
> >connection to German academia in their list of
> professors. I'm sure
> >that a few eyebrows will be raised for some of the
> other names on the
> >list, below, as well:
> >
> >"Honorary Academic Advisors to the Programme
> >
> >1.Most Venerable Phra Prommuni (Junda), Pali Grade
> 9
> >Director General, Mahamakuta Rajavidyalaya
> Foundation, Under Royal Patronage,
> >Wat Bovornivesviharn, Bangkok
> >
> >2.Most Venerable Phra Promgunaporn (Prayudh
> Payutto), Pali Grade 9,
> >PhD (Honoris
> >Causa)
> >Wat Yanawessakawan, Nakornpathom
> >
> >3.Ven Phra Sriyansophon (Suwit Piyavijjo), Pali
> Grade 9, BA Hons
> >(Mahamakut), MA (London)
> >Wat Phraramkao (Rama IX Temple)
> >
> >4.Prof Emeritus Visudh Busyakul, PhD in Sanskrit
> (Honoris Causa),
> >Chulalongkorn University
> >Fellow of the Royal Institute of Thailand
> >
> >5.Prof Dr Richard Gombrich, DPhil in Oriental
> Studies (Oxon, UK)
> >Director of Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies
> (OCBS), Oxford University, UK
> >
> >6.Prof Dr Oskar von Hinueber, PhD in Oriental
> Studies, Mainz
> >University, Germany
> >Freiburg University, Germany
> >
> >7.Mr Lance Cousins, MA in Oriental Studies
> (Cantab), Former President
> >of the Pali Text Society
> >Wolfson College, Oxford University.
> >
> >8.Prof Dr Nalini Balbir, Doctorat de 3 ème cycle
> en études indiennes
> >(Université Paris-3), Doctorat d'Etat ès-lettres
> (Université Paris-3)
> >Directeur d'études (philologie moyen-indienne) à
> l'Ecole Pratique des
> >Hautes Etudes, Section des sciences historiques et
> philologiques
> >
> >9.Prof Dr Janet Gyatso, PhD in Buddhist Studies,
> University of
> >California at Berkely
> >Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University
> >
> >10.Dr Peter Skilling, PhD in Buddhist Studies
> (Ecole Pratique des
> >Hautes Etudes, Sciences
> >Historiques et Philologiques a la Sorbonne, Paris,
> France)
> >Ecole francaise d'Extreme-Orient (Bangkok and
> Paris)
> >
> >11.Dr Prapod Assavavirulkarn, PhD in Buddhist
> Studies, University of
> >California at Berkely
> >Head of the Department of Oriental Languages,
> Faculty of Arts,
> >Chulalongkorn University"
> >
> >E.M.
>
>
______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm@...